


starlit

by tealady19



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, mostly Shiro being sappy, mostly comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:22:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22405657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealady19/pseuds/tealady19
Summary: Shiro wakes in the night, but not from a nightmare.  He takes the time to admire his sleeping beauty beside him.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 108





	starlit

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I needed some soft Keith appreciation and figured Shiro'd also be up for that. This is a short thing, but I'm inordinately pleased with it.

Shiro wakes suddenly, but he’s not startled. He just opens his eyes in the darkness of their room, bathed in a little starlight from the shades he’d left partly open the night before. The Atlas is drifting quietly around Saturn, not due to leave the system until the day after tomorrow. There wasn’t a nightmare tonight - his nights have been getting better, and recently he hasn’t even woken at all before morning.

It’s not morning yet. If he had to guess, Shiro would put it somewhere around 3am, Earth time. He’s not sure what that is on the 20 varga day, but likely around the same. He hasn’t woken this early in months. He doesn’t remember dreaming, and there wasn’t really a noise or anything outside in the halls that could have woken him. He thinks about activating his prosthesis from where it rests on its low shelf, but reconsiders.

To his right, Keith is still sleeping.

The starlight paints him an ethereal silver, almost a lavender that makes him look even more Galra. It caresses his skin, bared to mid-chest under the soft sheets of their bed. More often than not, they fall asleep facing each other and holding hands, rather than spooning or cuddling. They’ll start out close, wrapped up in each other and feeling the heat of each other’s skin, but eventually Keith will shift to face him. He’ll slide his fingers between Shiro’s and makes sure that if his eyes were open, he’d be able to see Shiro’s face. Shiro’s not sure if it’s because he likes watching him fall asleep, or if it’s the simple fact that his breath on Keith’s face reminds him that he’s alive.

Shiro can’t imagine it, since he hates being breathed on in his sleep, always finding it too cold or tickling his hair. But Keith seems to sleep better this way, doesn’t wake up in a panic to check if Shiro’s still alive. They’d tried having him sleep on Shiro’s chest for a while, but after Keith pulled a muscle in his neck and had to be off training for three days because he couldn’t stand straight, they decided to take better care of their sleeping posture. Keith was ready to power through it, but Shiro put his foot down at regularly injuring himself - they would find another way.

This seems to do the trick, if the peaceful countenance of his partner is anything to go by. He’s splayed out half on his front, half on the giant body-sized pillow shaped like a long hippo Shiro had found at a market a few months ago. Well- it looks like a long hippo but it’s apparently some alien creature that’s considered both cute and menacing and is actually the size of a house cat. Shiro tactfully didn’t mention how these qualities reminded him of the man beside him, who, when presented with it, lit up in the stupidest grin Shiro’d seen out of him in a long time.

His left hand is still entwined with Shiro’s, slim fingers slotting in between his larger ones, and Keith’s palm is warm against the back of Shiro’s hand. His grip has loosened in sleep, so Shiro can slip out if he needs to. He doesn’t want to yet. Keith is still, peaceful, and vulnerable in a way that even Shiro doesn’t get to see on a regular basis. He takes the time now to admire, since sleep is eluding him.

His dark lashes dust his cheekbones, casting the softest ashy shadow. His brow is soft and smooth, and Shiro wants to press a kiss to it, but doesn’t want to wake Keith if he moves. He can be patient.

There is just enough light to see pale freckles dusted over Keith’s cheek. He knows they’re darker after time in the sun; when he’d crashed back on Earth for the first time, way back before this all started, he’d been shocked when he’d opened his eyes and there was Keith, dark freckles splashed across his cheeks and the bridge of his upturned nose, staring down at him.

They’ve faded the longer they’ve spent in space, and even after Keith returned from his years on the space whale, they were never as dark as they were after that summer in the desert. Shiro mourns their loss, but at the same time loves that they’re something just for him to see now, so faint as to nearly blend into his skin.

Keith’s hair is falling around his ears, fanning against the pillow behind him. It’s brushed back from his neck and his face, but one strand from his bangs curls around his jaw. It’s this that has Shiro sliding his fingers from between Keith’s, slowly to make sure he stays asleep and doesn’t miss the contact for too long. Satisfied, Shiro gently runs the backs of his fingers along Keith’s cheek. His eyes have adjusted enough to see the slight upturn of his mouth as he does so, and Shiro smiles softly back at him.

His fingers continue to trace the lines of his face for just a moment longer, then sneak under that strand of hair and tuck it behind his ear. Privately, Shiro thinks his ears have little points to them, something that he’s grown into as an adult. But it’s not easy to see, and Keith is sometimes self-conscious of his Galra appearance, especially when it changes in ways he doesn’t anticipate. Shiro thinks his ears are as cute as the rest of him, but is currently keeping any further observations to himself.

He slowly, slowly traces the shell of his ear for a few passes, before sliding back and threading into his dark, thick hair to cup the back of his skull. Everywhere he touches Keith, he fits perfectly into his hands. Shiro can’t count the number of times he’s been amazed by this fact, he feels like it will always floor him. He looks at Keith with so much love that it’s a wonder their friends only tease them as much as they do. He’s sure he’s been obvious for so long how he feels for this sleeping beauty next to him. Shiro runs his fingertips along the bones of Keith’s neck, and sighs. He’s so beautiful.

However, Keith’s brow pinches as he sweeps his hand softly over the curve of his shoulder. Shiro pauses, not wanting to wake him, but it doesn’t seem like he’s the cause of Keith’s unrest. A moment later his breathing changes, soft breaths huffing out of him. Shiro slides his hand into Keith’s hair, trying to calm him, but he tucks his face further into his pillow.

“Baby,” he whispers, as soft as he can. “It’s okay, I’m-” he cuts off as Keith’s voice breaks on a whimper, high and sad as his shoulders curl into the bed.

Shiro’s heart breaks with him. He shifts closer, trying not to wake Keith, but to pull him out of whatever dream has taken over. “Shhh, sweetheart, I’ve got you.” Keith makes another cry, soft and sad and hitching towards a sob. Shiro gathers him closer, angling his body on top of the pillow between them to get closer to Keith. He gets his arm fully around his back, and presses his lips to his forehead, holding him.

It takes a moment, a little longer than Shiro would like, but the crumpled brow relaxes under his lips. Keith doesn’t wake, thankfully. He has a death grip on the strap of Shiro’s tank top, and makes a soft, sad noise as he tucks himself closer. Shiro buries his nose in Keith’s hair, breathing in the scent of him as much as he’s trying to make sure Keith can feel the puff of his breath. He doesn’t want to disturb him further. Shiro’s left hand sweeps up and down his bare back, following the line of his spine and into his long, loose hair.

He’s quiet, after that, as Shiro holds him. He cards softly through his hair, but knows that will wake Keith if he does it too long, so he goes back to running his fingers up and down his spine. Sometimes he draws patterns, or practices the few symbols of the Galran language he can remember right now, but mostly he’s finding the simple back and forth soothing. His eyes are closing against Keith’s crown before he can help it, and he feels the tug of sleep again.

He kisses his love once more before he drifts off again, starlight spilling over both of them as they sleep tucked together.

☆☆☆

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on twitter at [thimblee](http://www.twitter.com/thimblee)!


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